OKALOOSA COUNTY, FL - Okaloosa County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) has a new Web site, www.okaloosa-cert-team.org, which will be utilized for posting training and other updates online. The next training session is scheduled for January 19 and 26, 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. The classes will be followed by a training exercise on February 2, 8 a.m., until. If you are interested in becoming a CERT member or would like more information, contact Jennifer Tindall, (850) 243-0315, or email CERT@united-way.org.

The CERT Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. The CERT program is an official emergency preparedness program administered under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Okaloosa County CERT teams are designed to be coordinated at the neighborhood level by a designated CERT leader. The team leader is selected by the members of the team and is the official liaison between the neighborhood CERT and the Okaloosa County Department of Public Safety’s Emergency Management Division.